Tile press



June 26, 11923.

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F. E. STEVENSON TILE PRESS Filed March 10 1922 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 6% fig 1q\ Return I @.ToPress o 0 g. 6* *JLJ Return Jun 26, 1923. 11,460,287

F. E. STEVENSON TILE PRESS Filed March 10 1922 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 June 26,1923. L46U287 F. E. STEVENSON TILE PRESS X1 Filed March 10 1922 9Sheets-Sheet 9 Patented dune 2d,

FRANCIS E. STEVENSON, 01E MOUNT GJULIEAD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THEHYDRAULIC PRESS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MOUNT GILEAD, OHIO.

TILE PRESS.

Application filed March 10, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS E. S'rnvnNsoN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Mount Gilead, in the'county of Morrow andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TilePresses, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

An object of my invention is the provision of a tile press of thehydraulic type that will enable the production of a uniform product andone in which there is small'loss ,of the tiles.

Another object is to provide an improved mechanism for operating thecharging de- VICE."

Another object is to provide a new mechanism for balancing the mold withsprings.

Another object is the provision of means for releasing the initialpressure momentarily to permit the air to escape easily while holdingone set of mold lifting springs out of action.

Another object is the provision of a valve operating mechanismparticularly adapted for use in this type of machine.

Other objects will be apparent from the following detailed descriptionand the appended claims.-

ln the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the press.

Figure 2 is a vertical section showing the I feed box out and nopressure applied.

Figure 3 is a similar section showing the feed box moved in to deliveryposition with y no pressure applied.

Figure 4 is a detail section showing the feed bonout having depositedthe charge, with the valve position illustrated in Figare 10. v v

Figure 5 is a similar view showing press die applying low pressure withthe valve position of Figure 11. v

Figure 6 is a similar view showing press die slightly raised to permitrelease of. air with the valve position of Figure 12.

Figure 7 is a similar view showing high res'sure applied with the valveposition of igure 13. Fi re 8 is a detail view of the feed box, detaced.

Figure 9 is a section showing the general Serial No. 542,623.

type of valve mechanism and the manner in which the valves are camoperated.

Figures 10, 11, 12 and 13 are views showing diagrammatically thesuccessive positions of the valves during the press operation.

Figure 14 is an elevation showing the .mechanism for balancing andoperating the mold. p

Figure 15 is an elevation showing the mechanism for operating the feedbox.

' Figure 16 is an elevation, partly in section, showing means foroperating valves when machine is disconnected from the power mechanismso that the press may be stopped instantly at any point in its stroke.

Figure 17 is a diagram of the pipe connections and certain valvemechanism.

As shown the press is mounted on a base 1 from which rise standards 2, 3and 4. Standards 2 and 3 support the base 5 of the press proper which isconnected by strain rods 6 to the cylinder 7. Springs 8 surround rods 9'and bear against nuts 10 on said rods and at their other ends againstlugs on the cylinder. The rods have other nuts 11 adjustably screwed ontheir lower ends. These nuts may limit the upper position of the platen12 which is rigidly connected to the press ram 13 by its socket beingfitted to the ram. The platen 12 is provided with four holes throughwhich pass bolts or studs 14 each of which is provided with two locknuts 15 at its upper end. Thesebolts 14 are rigid with a sub-platen.16-and around them in small recesses are placed springs 17 undercompression which always tend to keep the sub-platen 16 as'far from theplaten 12 as the nuts 15 will permit, for a purpose hereinafterdescribed. The lower dies 18 are rigidly connected to the base 5, andthe mold plate 19 is fitted carefully over the lower dies. The upperdies 20 are rigidly carried by the sub-platen.

Power is transmitted to the press througha pulley 21 which is keyed to apinion 22,

both the pulley and pinion turning freely on the shaft 23 which onlyserves as a :Stationary bearing for these and other elements. The pinion22 meshes with a gear 24 which is keyed to the shaft 25 to drive thesame. Shaft 25 carries a pair of identical cams 26. (See Figure 14) Bellcrank levers 27 have at their lower ends rollers 28 to engage the cams26. These levers have.

hubs 29 mounted on the shaft 23 and also horizontal arms 30 providedwith rollers 31. A yoke member 32 has a central hub 33 whlch slides overa stationary shaft 34 which is screwed into the base 1 and held inposition by a lock nut 35. At its upper end the shaft 3'4 is threadedand two hand wheels36 and 37 are screwed thereon, the adjustment ofwhich determines the extent of upward movement of the yoke 32. Therollers 31 bear on the yoke 32 to move it downward when the former areoperated. Upwardly extending rods 38 are rigidly attached to the,yoke 32near their lower'ends and at their upper ends to ears 39 of the moldplate 19. In each case the method of attachment isvthat illustrated inFigure 14, where the rods are shown as being threaded, passed throughthe yoke 32 and mold plate 19,,- and held by nuts on each side.

In a similar manner lifting rods 40 are attached to the outer ends ofthe yoke 32 and pass through projections or lugs 41 of the ase 5 andthrough lugs 42 of the platen 12.

At their upper ends these rods are provided with nuts 43 and springs 44encircle the rods between the nuts 43 and the lugs 42. Intermediatetheir ends the rods are also provided with threaded nuts 45 and springs46 encircle the rods between the nuts 45 and the lugs 41.. The springs46 are given initial tension suflicient to just balance the weight ofthe yoke 32, rods 38, mold plate 19 and rods 40, which are all.intimately connected. If it is desired to pull the mold plate 19 downwhen the mac ine is not running, for purpose of oiling or cleaning, thismay be done by means of a foot pedal47 pivoted at its rear and connectedto the yoke 32 by a rod 48 passing through the pedal 47. A

spring 49 surrounds a rod 50fastened to the .base 1, and nuts 51 engagethe rod. above the pedal 47. The engagement of the rod 48 with the'pedal 47 is in a clearance openin suflicient to permit the movement ofthe yoke 1n the ordinary operation of, the machine without effecting thepedal. The nuts 51 limit the upward movement of the'pedal under theinfluence of the spring 49. I

The shaft 25 is also provided with acam 52 that is employed to'controlthe movement of the charging box '53. This box, as shown in Figure 8,has pins 54 at its'side's and one or more openings-55 to receive thecharge.

The pins 54 are re eived in elongated slots 57 in arms 54 carried byallover 58. This lever is a floating lever, havi no fixed fulcrum. It isconnected by apm 59 to a link 60 having a pin 61 as pivot. "Another in62 passes through the lever-58 and li which are pivoted by separate pins65 to brackets 64 carriedby'the base 5. The purcam 66. The piston iscontrolled by pressure applied and released alternately throughconnections 71 and 72. This reversal is accomplished by a pilot slidevalve 73 which may be made of the poppet type or may be any otherdesired four-way valve. It is operated by means of links 74 connected toa lever 75 1 fulcrumed at its upper end on the shaft 23 and carrying aroller 76 adapted to engage the cam 52 through a spring or the unbalianced force of the stem of valve 73.

The hopper 77 is rigidly connected to a table 78 which in turn isrigidly connected to the mold box 19. The table 78 may becounterbalanced by springs 79 adjustable through members 80.

Fastened to the-shaft 25 is a wheel 81 hav- I ing a cam roove in eachface, or two cam wheels mig t be rovided each having one cam groove. Inigures 10 to 12'inclusive, the wheel is shown as divided into two partsfor the sake of clearness. In one face is a oove 83 and in the other acam groove 84. n the groove 84 engages a roller 85 on the end of asliding arm 86 'to which is -fas- 'tened by a pin and slot connection aT-shaped member-87 pivoted at 88. One arm 89 underlies a stem 90 and theother arm underlies a stem 91, these stems being adapted to raisecertain valves when operated as. afterwards described. In the cam groove84 operates a similar roller 92 at the end of an arm 93 which throughidentical connections 94 conthe same general type,'and are shown in 3more detail in Figure 9. .The arms of the T-shaped member 87 areprovided with adjustable screws 97 and 98 for adjusting the normalpositions of the stems 90 and 91.

Each stem hasa spring 99 surrounding th same between its head and thevalve gland 100 and a flange packing 101 ofv any usual ordesired typemay be employed. The check valve 102 is' of a well-known ty It is to beunderstood that the showing offigures 10 to 13 inclusive is diagrammaticand no efiort has been made to show the detailed structure in thesefigures. v

The valves-are contained in a casing 82 adjacent the camwheel 81, andthe necessa 1pe connections lead therefrom as indicate? t r-ting withthe parts in the position shown in L'Figure 10, the valve C"is"the onlyone open and the pressure is relieved from the moons? press ram passingfrom the press through valve C to return pipe as shown by the arrows inthis figure. At this time the parts of the press mechanism are in theposition shown in Figure 4, the feed box having deposited its charge andbeen withdrawn.

The next etc is shown in Figure 11, where the valve l) has been openedand the pressure passes from the low pressure source through valves 1Eand D to the press. Back pressure will then close valve C The press hasnow moved to the Figure 5 position in which the ram has moved downwardand low pressure is applied to the material in the mold.

In the next movement, as shown in F ig- 1116'12, the valve A is raised,and the pressure is momentarily relieved, the fluid passing from. pressunder valve D, over valve C down through valve A, and back to re turn asshown by the dotted lines in this figure. This momentary relief is shownin Figure 6 where there is a. slight separation between the platen 12and the sub-plat en 16.

Next, as shown in Figure 13, the valve B 'is opened and the highpressure passes through valve B over valves A "and C and under valve 11)to the press, moving the parts to the position shown in Figure 7 wherehigh pressure is applied to the material.

After this, the parts are returned to the Figure 10 position, and thecycle of operations is resumed.

The movements of the mold and auto-.

matic charging devices are controlled by the earns 26 and 52 and maybest be followed by a consideration of Figures 2, 3, 1t and 15. InFigure 2 the parts are in normal position, the feed box 53 is withdrawn,there is no pressure, and the mold plate 19 has been lowered until thetop face thereof is flush with the lower dies 18 and the table 2'8. Thecharging box 53 then slides into the pressand the mold 19 rises with thecharging box 53, the hopper 77 and the table 78. At this time the pins5t in the slots 57 rise upwardly therein. The partsthen occupy theposition shown in Figure 3. Thereafter the charging box is withdrawn andthe parts are in the position shown in Figure 4. At this point the cycleof 0 erations controlled bythe valves in the on 82 begins and arecarried out. as described above. As soon as the final stage is reached,the mold 19 is moved downward and the charging operation is repeated.

It may be advisable to provide means whereby the machine may be stoppedat any time no matter what the stroke position may be. As an example ofsuch means, there is shown in'Figure 16 a lever 103, hinged at a fixedpoint-104i and connected by a link 105 to the belt that normally rune onthe pulley 21. Movement of the lever, which is the usual belt shifterwill throw the belt upon an idle pulley 106 and stop the application ofpower to the machine. Connected to the lever 103 is a link 107 at tachedto a wedge 108 underlying supporting means for stems that hold openvalves in a casing 109. These valves are normally open and lie in thetrains of communications from the sources of high and low pgl'essurerespectively to the valve box, 82.

hen the wedge 108 is drawn out, the valves close and pressure is shutolf from. the press, stopping the .movement of the press ram.

Instead of a belt shifter a clutch may be substituted, and equivalentoperating means for the valves may be used instead of the wedge.

The thickness of the briquettes may be regulated by controlling theamount of material charged into the mold 19. This is done by raising orlowering the pair of handwheels 36 and 37. Since these wheels controlthe upper limit of the yoke 32, they also control the upper limit ofmold plate 19 and therefore the depth of the opening when the mold plateis moved up.

The proper balancing of the mold is ob.-

tained'by an adjustment of the nuts 45, and the adjustment for keepingthe mold top flush with" the lower dies 18 when in the lower position ismade by the nuts on the rods 38.

I The check E is used to revent the high pressure accumulator flui fromflowing back on to the lowpressure line if any of the other checksshould leak.

It is understood that the succeeding movements of the charging box intothe press displaced the preceding tile or briquette that has just beenformed, since the mold has been lowered and the tile rests on the up ersurface of the lower dies.

ariations of size, form and detail may be made as desired. One largetile or a plurality of small ones can be made by the use of suitabledies and a charging plate to correspond.

I claim as my invention:

1. A press comprising a fixed lower die, a mold surrounding said die andhaving its top movable to register with the top of the .die, a chargingdevice, means for moving the charging device so that the materialcarriedthereby overlies the die, means for raising the mold and chargingdevice, the means for moving the charging device acting after saidmovement is completed to withdraw the same leaving the material in themold, an upper die, and means for movin said upper die to compress thematerial in the mold.

2. A press comprising a fixed lower die, a mold box surrounding saiddie, a charging device, means for moving the charging device so that thematerial carried thereby registers with the mold, meansfor raising themold and chargin device, the means for moving the charging device actingafter said movement is completed to withdraw the same leaving thematerial in the mold,

an upper 'die, and means for applying hydraulic pressure to the upperdie to compress the material in the mold. I

3. A press comprising-afixed lower die, a mold surroundlng said die,means for moving the mold downwardly until its upper edge registers withthe top of the die,

a charging device, means for moving the charging device so that thematerial carried thereby registers with the-mold, spring means forraising the mold and charging device, the means for moving the chargingdevice thereafter acting. to withdraw the same, an upper die, andmeans'for' moving said upper die the mold. a

4. A press comprising a lower die, a mold surroundingsaid die, means formoving the mold downwardly, a charging device, means .for moving thecharging device to deliver material to the mold, spring means forraisthe lower.

. Apress comprising a lower die, a mold surrounding said die, means formoving the mold downwardly, spring means for raising the mold, means forlimiting the upward movement vof-the mold, a charging device, means formoving the charging device to register with the mold when the latter isin its lower position and withdrawing it after the mold hasb'een raised,an upper die, and means for causing the dies to compress the materialinthemold. g". A press comprising a lower die, an up- 7 per diecooperating therewith, a mold surrounding the lower die, automatic meansfor moving, the mold downwardly, means for thereafter charging-the moldwith material, spring means for raising said mold,

means for limiting the upward movement of the mold, and means for movingthe mold downwardly when the machine is idle;

' 8. A press'comprising adie, a mold cooperating therewith, automaticmeans for moving the mold downwardly, a charging device to compress thematerial inmechanism.

-for reversing the direction of movement of the means for moving thecharging device to withdraw the same.

9. A press comprising a .die, a mold cooperating therewith, a chargingdevice for the mold, a floating lever connected at one end to thecharging-device, link suspension for said lever so that a right linemovement will be given the charging device, means engaging said lever tomove the charging device, and means for reversing the direction ofmovement of said last-named means.

10. A press com rising a die, a mold cooperating therewit a chargingdevice for the mold, a floating lever connected atone end to thecharging device, link suspension for said lever, hydraulic meansconnected to said lever to move the same and give right line movement tothe charging device, and means 'for reversing the direction of movementof the hydraulic means.

11. A press comprising a mold, a charging device therefor, a leverconnected at one end to the charging device, link suspension for thelever, hydraulic means connected to said lever to operate the same,valve mechanism for controlling the hydraulic means, and cam means foroperating the valve for moving the mold downwardly independently of saiddie. and means controlled by other of said cams for thereafter movingthe char ing device into and out of cooperating relation to the mold.

14. Apress comprising a die,a mold coop'erating'therewith, a chargingdevice for the mold, 'a' power driven shaft, cams'there on', mechanicalmeans operated by certain of said cams for moving the molddownwardlyindependently of said die, spring means for moving the moldupwardly, and. hydraulic means controlled by other of said cams formoving the charging device 'into'and out of cooperating relation to themold.-

15. A press comprising a die, a platen, a sub-platen connected theretoby means permitting slight relative movement therebetween, spring meanstendingto keep the platen and sub-platen separated, a die rigidlyconnected to the sub-platen, a hydraulic plunger connected to theplaten, means for applying low pressure to the plunger, means formomentarily relieving the pressure while the springs maintain the die incontact with the material, and means for thereafter applying highpressure to the plunger.

16. A press comprising a die, a platen, a

second die operated by the platen, spring means permitting a slightrelative movement ofi the platen and second die, a hydraulic plungerconnected to the platen, means for applying low pressure to the plunger,means for momentarily relieving the pressure while the spring meansmaintain the die in contact with thematerial, and means for thereafterapplying high pressure to the plunger. v v

17 A press comprising a mold, a charging device therefor, a platen,means for movingthe charging device into the press, means for thenraising the mold and charging device, the moving means for the chargingdevice then acting to withdraw the same, means for admitting lowpressure to the platen, means for momentarily relieving the pressure,means for thereafter admitting high pressure, means for entirelyrelieving the pressure, and means for lowering the mold, the cycle ofoperations then being repeated.

18. A press comprising a table, a mold rigid therewith, a chargingdevice sliding on said table to a position overlying the mold, means forthen raising the mold and charging device. means for withdrawing thecharging device. and means for counterbalancing the table.

19. A press comprising a table, a mold rigid therewith, spring means forcounterbalancing the outer end of the table, means for raising the moldand table, and a charging device sliding on said table and partaking ofthe "ertical movements thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed m name.

F ANCIS E. STEVENSON.

